Four highways workers sent out to repair a dangerous crack reported to council bosses with pictures failed to spot the huge defect which four months later caused a cyclist's death.
Harry Colledge, who was a member of Cleveleys Road Club and a well-known cyclist, was riding along Island Lane near Winmarleigh on Monday January 2 this year. As the 84-year-old cycled down the single track lane at around 12mph his wheel entered a six-
inch deep crack running along the centre of the road.
Harry, a retired teacher, was thrown from his bike and despite wearing a helmet suffered a serious head injury. He was taken to hospital but died from his injuries.
An inquest being held this week at Preston Coroner's Court heard that the crack had been reported to Lancashire County Council's highways department by Winmarleigh Parish Councillor Brenda Brodie four months earlier. When Cllr Brodie sent an email about
the road to the council's highways manager Mark O'Donnell she attached a series of photos including the main one above.
One of the pictures shows the council chairman's wife Beverley Hull with her hands inside the deep crevice. When Mr O'Donnell saw the images he said he was "concerned" and vowed to "look at it immediately".
Six days after Cllr Brodie sent her email a team of four highways operatives, who are tasked with repairing potholes, was sent out to Island Lane. Crucially, they hadn't been shown the photos, and instead were told to drive the full length of the road to
look for any defects in need of repair.
The four men, three of whom have 76 years' experience in the job between them, visited Island Road on September 15 last year. All four failed to spot the huge crack in the road and it was never repaired. No repair was carried out before Harry's death
four months later.
One of the highways operatives who visited Island Lane on September 15, Richard Hull, agreed that the team's "primary focus" was to look for defects which posed a danger to motor vehicles and not cyclists or those on two wheels.
Another of the operatives who went out in September was Paul Littlewood. He said that had he been shown the pictures sent by Cllr Brodie he "would have known it was there".
Area Coroner Kate Bisset said: "If you had been shown that picture would you say it required repairing?" "Definitely," he replied.
Fellow council worker Steve Oldham said that had he been shown the picture he would "definitely" have carried out a temporary repair. All agreed that the defect would require a road closure in order to carry out a "proper" repair.
Just 11 days after the highways teams failed to spot and repair the defect, a regular three-monthly inspection of the road was carried out by Robert Treen. Mr Treen, a highways safety inspector of 14 years, insisted that he had not missed the defect
pictured just weeks before.
Alex Williams, the barrister representing Harry's wife Val, described the fact that all five men failed to spot the crack as "a strange scenario". Under cross-examination Mr Treen was asked how he had missed to see it.
He replied: "I don't believe I did miss it. If that was there on September 26 in that condition I would have recorded it."
Mr Treen was then questioned further on how the defect had been missed by everyone. Mr Williams asked him: "If it wasn't filled on September 15 then how did you miss it?"
"We don't know it wasn't filled," Mr Treen replied before being reminded that the two teams had not repaired the crack 11 days earlier.
Mr Williams then said "You say you would have not have missed it" to which Mr Treen replied: "I didn't miss it. It must have been repaired" before suggesting the crack must have "closed up on its own".
PC Glenn Hilton, a collision investigator with Lancashire Constabulary, visited Island Road after Harry's death. He concluded that the front wheel of Harry's bike had become wedged in the crack which caused the collision.
The officer explained that, due to reaction times, Harry would not have been able to stop or swerve in time to avoid the crevice once he had spotted it. He added: "In my opinion it was the front wheel of the bike going into the crack in the road which
caused the cycle to suddenly come to an abrupt stop and throw the cyclist off the bike."
The inquest is due to conclude tomorrow (October 12). The second day will include statements from doctors who treated Harry in hospital as well as live evidence from an independent expert.
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/they-primary-focus-cars-five-27897362
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
